1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to wheeled portage devices and, more particularly, to a portage device having a single wheel that is attached to the waist of a user.
The need to portage supplies and equipment is well known. No one device is suited for all applications. As an example, self-propelled portage devices include motor vehicles of all types. Accordingly, a large dump truck is suited for the portage of certain items, such as gravel, whereas a motorcycle is better suited for the transport of its rider and a very limited cargo.
However, there are situations that call for the portage of items that do not permit the use of a motor powered self-propelled vehicle. For example, the use of motor vehicles is prohibited in certain wilderness back-country areas. Backpackers who wish to visit and perhaps camp in these areas have before been required to transport the necessary items on a backpack. This has limited the amount of cargo to a weight that they can easily transport.
Those hikers with back-related problems are in many instances prohibited from access to such remote areas to the extent that they are unable to carry items on their backs. Even healthy individuals are limited as to the weight that can be carried in a backpack.
This is due both to human carrying capacity and also to reasons of physics as they relate to considerations regarding stability. Ideally, a heavy item should be disposed as close to the surface (ground) as is possible for maximum stability. Backpackers who know this put heavier items in the bottom of their packs and lighter items at the top.
Heavy items disposed high on the human frame make the person top heavy and prone to falling, especially if he or she should lean forward or backwards too far. As it is, backpackers must compensate for the weight that is in their backpacks by leaning forward an increased amount. This puts their torsos into an attitude that is unfamiliar and, because it tilts the head forward, uncomfortable at best. It may also compromise safety in that forward (and overhead) visibility is further restricted as a result of the increased forward lean angle.
There is a need for those hiking trails and wilderness areas to be able to transport heavier, and also bulkier, cargo items than can readily be transported in a backpack. There is also a need to be able to more easily and with greater comfort transport items that could otherwise be carried in a backpack. There is a further need to improve access to these types of remote areas to individuals who, for whatever reason of infirmity, would be disadvantaged to use a backpack or any of the known means of transporting items into wilderness areas.
Also, the need to transport heavier, bulkier, or simply more items easier and safer is not limited solely to those who backpack. Many situations could benefit from such a device, too innumerable to recite all but a few here. Postal mail carriers in particular, who walk door to door delivering the mail, stand to benefit both in terms of carrying capacity and also in terms of safety and efficiency if they are able to carry heavier loads in an easier manner.
Street vendors have similar needs. Those who peddle foodstuff, such as hot dogs and pretzels would welcome such a device as would those who sell trinkets and other miscellaneous items. Vendors who work in shopping malls or at fairs and shows also have similar needs.
And, aside from the need to transport cargo items, there is also a need to provide a resting place for the user, such as a chair. Some innovative types of folding chairs have been created for this purpose, but they must either be carried separately or they add significantly to the complexity of the device itself.
Accordingly there exists today a need for a wheeled portage device that permits placing cargo items close to the surface of the ground and which facilitates their transport under a variety of situations.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wheeled portage device are, in general, known. For example, motor powered devices such as motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks are known. Operator powered devices such as bicycles, carts, and wheelbarrows are known.
While the structural arrangements of the above named devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved portage device that is easy to use.
It is also an important object of the invention to provide an improved portage device that can be used to transport a cargo.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved portage device that is powered by a human.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved portage device that includes one wheel, a frame assembly, and is attached to the waist of a user and is pulled by him when he or she is walking or hiking.
Still yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved portage device that includes an articulated frame.
Yet another important object of the invention is to provide an improved portage device that is versatile.
Still yet another important object of the invention is to provide an improved portage device that is adaptable to provide a seat to sit on and a table.
Briefly, an improved portage device that is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention has a single wheel and surrounding frame assembly to which a cargo may be attached. The frame assembly includes a waist belt assembly that is adapted for securing the frame about the waist of a user for portage wherein the frame and wheel are generally disposed behind the user. Intermediate the waist belt assembly and the wheel a pivot about an axis is provided that divides the frame assembly into two halves, each of the two halves being disposed on opposite sides of the axis. The axis is disposed in a more vertical than horizontal orientation. The pivot can be regulated by the user to allow the frame assembly halves to articulate about the axis to provide improved maneuvering around corners or to maintain rigidity for improved travel over straight areas or uneven surfaces and when parking the device. A variety of load carrying devices, such as saddlebags, flat surfaces, and pouches, each of which is designed to best satisfy the requirements for a particular use, are attached to either of the frame assembly halves. Other accessory devices, such as a tent fly, are also attached to the frame assembly and are intended to improve the versatility of the portage device when it is parked.